Tuesday, 25 December 2007

Holiday break

Merry Christmas to all !No, the beautiful dinner table photo was not taken at my place but in the lobby of Avignon's Town Hall (free entry) where you can see a display of the traditional Provencal Christmas dinner : le gros souper (the big supper) is a pre-Midnight Mass dinner set with three tablecloths and three candlesticks which ends with a ritual number of 13 desserts symbolizing Christ and his 12 apostles. The 13 desserts are made of:- Nuts such as hazelnuts, almonds and walnuts- Dried fruit such as raisins, dried figs and apricots- Quince paste, candied fruit, jams- Fresh fruits such as apples, pears, grapes, mandarins, melon or oranges specially saved for the occasion- Two types of nougat (fudge), soft white and hard black,- The pompe à huile or fougasse (a pastry made with olive oil).All thirteen are served at the same time along with cooked wine, which represents Jesus himself. For good luck the guests must have a little bit of everything.

My father's mother was from the Alpes Maritimes region of France and she always served 13 desserts--my mother kept up the tradition to please my father, but I have not. I don't possess the same sweet tooth they had!

The table is VERY elegant!! But, I'm not sure that I could handle 13 desserts. Your top photo is very festive. Happy New Year to you and may all good things happen, including joy, health, and much happiness.

Amazing how there are always new traditions to learn about. I had never heard of the 13 desserts, thank you for explaining. It must be fun to find creative ways to cook these ingredients up in new recipes.

I could happily partake of such a delicious supper Nathalie but my favourite would have to be le nougat, blanc tendre.Cooked wine sounds rather intriguing. Hope you are enjoying your break.Happy New Year and best wishes for 2008.